New Delhi: Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 to qualify for the FA Cup semi-finals at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, April 4. Premier League title holders played well in the first 30 minutes of the game, with Mohamed Salah missing an early chance.
But Haaland netted the first goal of the match in the 39th minute from the penalty spot after Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk fouled Nico O’Reilly with a rash challenge. He scored the second goal of the match in the first-half stoppage time with a brilliant header from Antoine Semenyo’s excellent cross.
Semenyo netted the third goal for Manchester City just five minutes after the break, and Haaland completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute. Salah, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, delivered a disappointing performance and had his penalty saved by James Trafford.
After conceding four goals, many Liverpool fans left the stadium early as Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola substituted Haaland with Omar Marmoush.
In the other quarter-final matches, Chelsea will face Port Vale, and Southampton will host Arsenal later on Saturday. Leeds United will take on West Ham United on Sunday. The semi-finals and final of the FA will take place at Wembley Stadium.
‘Another Wembley trip for us is amazing and important’: Haaland
After the match, Haaland said that they struggled a bit at the start, but after 30 minutes, they kept going and finished the game brilliantly. The striker further added that another trip to Wembley is important for the club.
“Another Wembley trip for us is amazing and important. I think (my form this season) has been a bit too much up and down, which is not good enough. I cannot keep on thinking about what I could have done differently or what didn’t happen, or what happened. I have to think about the next game,” Haaland told broadcaster TNT Sports.
Manchester City will next face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, April 12.